The Bumble Bear Bug
by Healer Pomfrey
Summary: Hermione and Harry fall ill just before the summer holidays - their best holidays ever. Just a pointless, slightly fluffy drabble. Set after third year, AU, sick!Harry, sick!Hermione


**The Bumble Bear Bug**

**by Healer Pomfrey**

_All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story._

_A huge thanks to JB5391 for her absolute brilliant beta-ing!_

_**Warning: Just a pointless, stupid drabble, which I wrote during a sleepless night. Don't read, if you don't like them...**_

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Hermione gently set the bumble bear, a tiny magical creature, back into its cage as Hagrid dismissed the class and followed Harry and Ron back to the castle, feeling strangely relieved that the last class for the day was over.

'_Two more days of classes and then we're going home over the summer_,' she mused, not feeling overly happy at the thought. '_I'd much rather stay here and study in the library as much as I want_.'

All of a sudden, Hermione didn't feel very well anymore. Her body began to feel strangely heavy, as though the entire library was on her shoulders, tired and she was somehow lightheaded. She quietly followed Harry and Ron to the common room to use the free hour until dinner to get a head start on her homework.

"Hey, what's wrong with the two of you?" Ron suddenly asked after finishing a long monologue about Quidditch. "You're very quiet today. Well, more than usual…"

"We are trying to concentrate on our homework, Ronald," Hermione retorted in a hiss, although she noticed she had enormous difficulties to concentrate at all.

Harry merely nodded, burying his head in his Transfiguration book.

"Well, it's dinner time anyway," Ron spoke again. "Let's go."

While Harry willingly closed his book, Hermione didn't feel hungry at all. "I'm going to skip dinner tonight. I want to get on with this." She pointed to the huge pile of books and papers on the table in front of her.

"You? After what you always tell Harry about not missing meals?" Ron blurted out incredulously.

"I'm not hungry either. I only go because McGonagall threatened to take me to the hospital wing if I miss dinner again," Harry mumbled, and Hermione noticed that he was looking very pale.

The two boys left the common room, and Hermione tried once more to concentrate on her homework. '_I wonder what's wrong with me tonight. I just hope I'm not getting sick_,' she mused, resolving to go to bed as soon as her homework was finished.

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Professor McGonagall was sitting between the Headmaster and the Potions Master at the Head table, quietly observing the Gryffindor table over her goblet. Letting her eyes wander over the table, she noticed three things. One: The Weasley twins had obviously given their classmates prank drops that changed their hair into bright neon colours, two: Harry Potter was only playing with his food, apparently deep in thoughts, while his friend Ronald was eagerly babbling something that was very clearly going in one ear and out of the other, and three: Hermione Granger was absent from the dinner table. The Gryffindor Head let out a long sigh. '_The girl should know better than to miss meals in order to have more time to study_,' she thought, pondering if she should speak with Hermione, even if it was so close to the beginning of the summer holidays.

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When Hermione woke up in the morning, she didn't feel better at all. In spite of having slept for nine hours, she was tired and her head was pounding badly. She dragged herself out of bed and took a hot shower, realising that it didn't help much in refreshing her. Hoping that a strong and slightly sweet cup of tea might help her feel better and more alert, she slowly walked to the Great Hall to attend breakfast. '_I need to at least get through Transfiguration and Potions_,' Hermione thought, as it vaguely registered that Harry seemed to feel as crappy as she was. '_Perhaps he has the same problem as me, but he won't tell me the truth if I ask him anyway_,' she thought, knowing that she didn't have the energy to discuss the matter with her friend. Fortunately, she managed to attend her morning classes without attracting attention.

After playing with her lunch for a while, she decided to skip her afternoon classes, feeling strangely reassured when Harry said, "I think I'm going to miss Divination and History of Magic as well."

Together the two third years returned to the common room and stretched out on the sofas in front of the fireplace.

"You look as miserable as I feel," Hermione said softly, smiling weakly at Harry.

The two third years spent the afternoon in the common room sleeping or dozing on the sofas, only exchanging a few words every now and then. At some stage Harry called Dobby, who brought pumpkin juice and water for them and suggested they should go to the hospital wing to get a potion in order to feel better.

"It's all right, Dobby, thank you," Harry refused politely, completely sharing Hermione's opinion about the matter. By the time their house mates returned from the last afternoon class, Hermione and Harry decided to skip dinner and go to bed, glad that the only class they had on Thursdays and Fridays was Transfiguration, and Professor McGonagall hadn't given them any homework except for practising the spell they had learned that morning.

"If you don't want McGonagall..."

"... to drag you to the hospital wing..."

"... you better attend dinner," the Weasley twins warned them in their usual, but at this time completely annoying, way of talking.

"McGonagall has been watching you like a hawk during lunch and breakfast," Fred explained, smirking, causing Hermione and Harry to let out simultaneous groans.

"Well then, we better attend dinner," Hermione decided and Harry grudgingly agreed.

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Professor McGonagall observed the Gryffindor table as usual, concentrating on the third year trio as she recalled that two of her favourite little lions hadn't been eating properly during the last twenty-four hours. However, instead of feeling her concern subside, she became even more worried.

"Something wrong with the golden boy and his sidekicks?" Severus Snape sneered, diverting her attention for a moment.

Instead of admonishing the younger teacher, Minerva shared her concern with the Slytherin Head of House.

"They seemed very tired in class this morning," the Potions Master recalled musingly. "Maybe they had a party last night. I'd wait and confront them after breakfast tomorrow if they still behave strangely."

"All right," McGonagall said gratefully. "I have them in the period before lunch anyway." Turning her eyes back to the Gryffindor table, she realised that the trio had already left.

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'_Thank Merlin only today's classes left and then we have two months of holidays_,' Hermione groaned inwardly as she dragged herself out of bed. '_All the time I thought that I didn't want to go home but become an Animagus and hide in the library, but now I only want to stay in bed and sleep for a few weeks_.'

However, Professor McGonagall had not forgotten the problem with her two little lions and observed them critically during their last Transfiguration class of the school year. Both of them had dark rings around their eyes, which seemed to be glazed over feverishly, and Harry seemed to be sweating but shivering at the same time, while Hermione's flushed cheeks stood out against the pallor of her face.

"Ms. Granger and Mr. Potter, please remain for a moment," she called out to the two third-years, before she dismissed everyone else and wished them nice summer holidays.

Hermione and Harry exchanged a wary look and dragged themselves to their Head of House, who was waiting in the front of the classroom.

"Please follow me into my office," she said sternly and made them sit on the two chairs behind her desk, sharply eyeing the two friends. "What is wrong with the two of you?" she asked crisply. "Are you ill?"

"I'm fine," both of them replied simultaneously, causing the professor to snort.

"I can see that you're fine. That's why I called you into my office." She stepped around the desk and quickly extended her hand, letting it rest on Hermione's forehead for a few seconds, before she waved her wand and conjured two thermometers. "Open up Ms. Granger," she said and coaxed one of the devices into the girl's mouth, before she repeated the process with Harry, who gave her a terrified look.

"What's wrong, Mr. Potter? Did your aunt never take your temperature when you were sick?" McGonagall asked in disbelief, frowning when the boy slightly shook his head.

After a few more seconds, red numbers emerged from the tips of both devices, and the Deputy Headmistress sighed in annoyance. "If you had told me that you were feeling ill yesterday, Madam Pomfrey would still have been here to help you. However, she already left the castle this morning, to attend her niece's wedding and therefore the hospital wing is closed." She remained pensive for a moment, before she continued, "You may stay in my guest room for the time being, and we'll ask Professor Snape to check on you." She motioned for the students to follow her through a connecting door to her quarters and led them into her guest room, where she quickly conjured a second bed and instructed Hermione and Harry to lie down.

"I'm sorry to be such a bother," Harry mumbled as he obediently lay down, sighing in relief as his aching head made contact with the cool fluffy, down pillow.

"You are not a bother," the professor replied, looking at the boy in shock.

'_Feels good_,' Hermione thought, stretching out on the comfortable bed, and gave the teacher a grateful look when McGonagall transfigured her school uniform into soft pyjamas.

"Is it too bright?" the professor asked, noticing that the pair was squinting, struggling to keep their eyes open.

"Yes," Hermione replied miserably, sighing gratefully when McGonagall waved her wand at the charmed window and the room became considerably darker.

"Thank you, Professor," Harry whispered. "That's much better."

"Malcolm," the Gryffindor Head called her personal house-elf. "Please fetch Severus from the Great Hall and ask him to come to my guest room to check on two sick students."

"Yes Mistress Minerva," Malcolm replied promptly and popped away.

Harry eyed Hermione in concern, but apparently she felt too miserable to even notice the house-elf that had popped up next to her bed for a few seconds.

A few minutes later, the Potions Master strode into the room and consecutively waved his wand over the two students. "Congratulations, Ms. Granger, Mr. Potter; you caught the bumble bear bug, a very rare magical illness, which you can only catch if you come in contact with a sick bumble bear. I already began Hagrid's treatment two days ago."

"How bad is this, Severus?" McGonagall queried. "I have never heard of that disease."

"It is very severe, normally lasts up to two months, during which the patients have bad days, on which they feel rather miserable, and good days, on which they hardly feel ill at all. It is not contagious to magical people but can be deadly to Muggles," the Potions Master explained, raising an eyebrow at the Deputy Headmistress.

"So that means that neither Ms. Granger nor Mr. Potter can return home tomorrow?" McGonagall asked.

"Exactly."

"Very well, Ms. Granger, Mr. Potter, I'm afraid that you will have to remain here during the summer. I will ask Malcolm to add a second room to my quarters, so that you don't have to share the room," McGonagall said thoughtfully, eyeing her little lions in concern.

"You better have them stay in one room," the Potions Master disagreed, shaking his head. "That way they can keep an eye on each other and call you or me if the other has problems. I'll be back with the first dose of the potion in a few minutes."

"Thank you, Severus. I better inform Albus, so that he can contact the Grangers and the Dursleys," McGonagall said quietly.

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Hermione and Harry had to remain in the professor's guest room over the whole summer. However, whenever they were feeling better, they were allowed to roam the castle. It was only five days before school started again that Professor Snape finally declared them completely back to health again, and not even the Headmaster expected Harry to return to the Dursleys. Instead, the Grangers visited Hermione at Hogwarts and took Hermione and Harry for short daily excursions, which they both enjoyed very much.

When the friends were sitting in the living room of the professor's quarters together with their Head of House on the last evening of the holidays, they thanked the professor profusely.

"Thank you, Professor. These were the best holidays I ever had," Harry said gratefully.

"I agree," Hermione said, chuckling. "I always wished to be able to spend as much time in the library as I wanted. Thank you very much, Professor."

"You're welcome, Hermione and Harry. I hope you're going to take better care of yourselves during the next school year."

Hermione and Harry exchanged a look that clearly said, '_We will, but we hope that we'll be able to have another sick bumble bear in Hagrid's class right before the next summer_.'

**The End**


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